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Oil Boom After Spindletop. Vocabulary. Boomtown- A town that experiences a major increase, or boom, in population due to sudden rapid economic growth. Refinery- A plant where raw petroleum is purified and is made into other products, such as gasoline and kerosene
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Vocabulary • Boomtown- A town that experiences a major increase, or boom, in population due to sudden rapid economic growth. • Refinery- A plant where raw petroleum is purified and is made into other products, such as gasoline and kerosene • Wildcatter- Person who drills wells hoping to find oil in areas not known to have oil.
Problems with Boomtowns • Towns were turned into crowded noisy places. • Crime, disease, and a lack of drinking water were major problems. • Towns grew so fast there was not enough time to develop water or sewer systems.
Life in the Oil Field • Most people worked at least 12 hours a day. • Pay was good, but had to work hard or would get fired on the spot. • Long hours, slick surfaces, escaping gases, and falling from a derrick were some of the dangers. • Oil well could be shut down at anytime leaving workers and their families broke.
Humble Oil and Refining Company • Later known as ExxonMobil, built the largest refinery on the Gulf Coast.
Columbus “Dad” Joiner • Struck oil in Rusk County and opened the largest oil field in the world at that time, spanning more than 40 miles. • Received his nickname because he is considered to be the father of the East TX oil field.
East Texas Oil Wells • Within the first year, 1,200 oil fields pumped out 900,000 barrels of oil per day. • The oil fields covered five counties and contained about 1/3 of the nation’s oil reserve.
Texas Oil Affects the World • So much oil was pumped that it “flooded” the market. • Texas and the U.S. fell into the Great Depression- a time of low economic activity and high unemployment • In 1930 oil sold for more than a dollar a barrel and by 1931 it sold for 8 cents a barrel.
Texas Oil Affects the World cont. • Texas and the U.S. set limits on production to control prices. • The Texas Railroad Commission had the power to regulate (control) the amount of oil that producers could supply. • Some well owners still produced oil above the limit (illegal product over the limit called hot oil).
Petrochemical Industry • Petrochemical- A chemical made from petroleum or natural gas. • In the 1920’s chemists found ways to remove chemicals from petroleum to make everyday household items. • Synthetic rubber- Rubber that comes from chemicals rather than from plants. • The processes used to separate chemicals from oil created toxic waste. • Toxic waste- Poisonous by-product from chemical production.
Amon G. Carter • Oil executive and owner of the Fort Worth Star Telegram newspaper who helped make Fort Worth a major center of aircraft production (American Airlines). TCU football stadium named after him also. • He established the Amon G. Carter Foundation for cultural and educational purposes. • In his will he provided for the building of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. He specified that the museum would be free and open to all.
